Eternal Winter
by E.Winters
Summary: "I could handle the pain, just enough to survive...but hers...I couldn't bear it. It killed me to see her in pain." [Bucky/OC] Post CA - 'The Winter Solider'. Potential Civil War spoilers.
1. Chapter 1

The irked, tender woman stood in the small apartment all the while still trying to think of the reason that defended her presence for being there.

In reality, there were none to the average mind but this was her only chance.

Her only chance at peace.

She skimmed her gloved fingers lightly against the edges of the counters, attempting to calm her already heightened nerves while trying to focus on it's detail. Her mind was racing with endless possibilities as to how the scenario would pan out. Would violence ensue or would there be a level of understanding? Would the occupier of the small home flee or stand their ground?

Of course, she knew _of_ the man but her sources were mainly media reports and over the years she acquired the understanding to not believe everything you're told by said sources.

Which meant, she couldn't decide.

She'd never felt so unprepared in all her life.

She was scared.

Indefinitely.

Depending on this meeting, it could change her existence forever. She could, maybe, finally understand and discover things that had haunted her dreams, hopefully putting some of that pain to rest.

She needed reassurance and seemingly, this was one way to obtain it.

She closed her eyes, focusing on the low thud that was murmuring in her chest, breathing deeply to find her nirvana yet it was far more difficult than she had anticipated.

She listened carefully to the world around her. The rain lightly tapping against the window, the only light filling the room being that of the single, flickering streetlamp. The sound of distant sirens, conversations and the ambiance itself...

The apartment was drab, lonely even and seemed as though it had barely been lived in. It was littered with papers and documents of some kind but she dared not look. Although to some extent it would have been expected from her at one point in her life, she feared it not her place, which juxtaposed the initial break in that she had maneuvered.

However she needed to meet with him on her terms.

She couldn't risk being found by them.

It was fairly quiet, given the area of which she was situated but it contrasted the battle in her mind...the constant battle that she had to face every single second of her life.

She was exhausted.

 _"You would have liked him...he's a much better man than I'll ever be."_ The voice continued in her mind, the only thing in her life that brought a somewhat fondness to her memories.

 _"He would've like you too but it's just me and you from now on..."_

It was then that the sound of keys rattling against the lock caused her to stir and pull herself away from her mind once more and hide herself further away into the shadows. Her back pressed tightly against the wall and her breath near non existent, the man entered his own home without so much a second thought that there may have been an intruder, only five feet away from him.

He was, as expected, large and intimidating upon first glance but he had this aura of serenity about him. He was troubled yet he had enough grip on reality to get by. She herself wandered too far from reality sometimes to ever come back.

It frightened her when she couldn't find a way.

She watched him carefully as he sighed and threw down a large case of what seemed to be files up and onto the table. She studied his mood...he was certainly distressed of something, helpless perhaps yet still in control.

This wasn't the same man that had been described to her once before. That was a lifetime ago.

This man seemed to be a stranger in her imagination.

Her weight shifted, only slightly, however it still caused the floor to groan, the mans hands flexed beside him as his body straightened.

This time, she held her breath, debating whether or not to make her presence known yet...

It was all about timing in these circumstances and she didn't want to startle him, make it look as though she were a threat.

He turned slowly, his eyes following the stream of light which had ended just before her shoes. He squinted only for a moment as he took a cautious step forward, his shoes deafening against the floor boards.

"Who are you?" He asked softly yet there were hints of a threat as he placed his feet firmly on the ground, almost as though he were about to lunge at her.

"Mr Rogers?" She replied, her voice scratchy and disused. For how long she'd existed for, she hadn't needed to make much conversation.

"Yes..." He answered cautiously, not overly enthusiastic to know who this woman was. He took another step forward towards her, just as she decided to take her first. He caught glimpse of her face then and almost retreated. Like he, she didn't seem to be a threat – if anything she seemed to be a victim of some sorts but of course one must never judge before knowing their acquired skills.

He raised an eyebrow, waiting for her next move to which she wasn't sure of how to follow through.

"I'm sorry to have trespassed-"

" _Why_ have you trespassed? That seems to be the most logical question for me at the moment Miss." She smiled slightly at him, showing him that she understood his concern for her presence.

"My name is Bree...and I think that there is something that you can help me with..."

* * *

A/N

Hi!

So, it's been a long time since I'd posted anything on here but I felt as though I'd give it another try. This is really just a taster for the story and such but yeah...I hope you guys are intrigued!


	2. Chapter 2

She was small yet truly only in comparison to Captain America himself.

She was covered in black from head to toe, her neck and face being the only exposed thing and even then she seemed uncomfortable with it. In the soft orange glow of the street lamp, he could see that her hair was hidden beneath a hood of some kind which, in the shadows, would have made her completely invisible to the average human.

Steve took in her form, incredibly confused as to what this woman could possibly need help with. She seemed frail, her skin pale and her eyes dark, almost as though she hadn't laughed in years or that she hadn't slept.

Steve felt a pang in his stomach of concern towards her, his humanity building.

She was picking at her gloves, an obvious sign that she was nervous as she waited patiently for his reply.

For once, Steve didn't know what to make of the situation.

"Help you?" He eventually asked, dazed by this woman's words. "How could I do that? I've never even met you."

She nodded understandingly, taking another tentative step towards him. Bree realised then that he was more a man of words than violence which caused her to settle slightly.

Just like he'd explained to her...

"I understand that but before I say anything else Mr Rogers...you have to promise me that you'll tell no one that I came to visit you." She answered smoothly, her accent indicating that she was not entirely american.

 _Who is this woman?_ Steve thought, his mind aggravated. He shifted through his memory, hoping to catch a glance of her face but he came up blank.

She was a stranger to him.

"How can I be sure that I can trust you?"

"I'm afraid you're just going to have to." She shrugged apologetically, still playing with her gloves idly. He looked at her again, his lips pursed as he decided what to do. If she really were going to hurt him, she would've done so by now...however, this could be part of her plan.

A few minutes slipped by before he decided to level with her, to take the cautious route. There had been enough destruction.

"Alright...say I did trust you...what is it that you want from me?" She smiled, slightly in relief.

"Thank you." Bree whispered. "No one can know that I was here..."

"But-"

" _No one._..this matter is...delicate for me as I'm sure it is for you-"

"Please, Miss-"

"Bree." She said softly, attempting to humanize herself to him. He nodded.

"Bree..." He began again. "Let's just make this simpler, okay? What _exactly_ is this about?"

She paused, taking a deep breath in.

Could she really say his name again?

After all the years she was silent for her own safety as well as his? She didn't know whether or not she needed to keep him safe...she didn't know nor understand what had happened to him but now she had hope that she _would_ be able to.

" _It's you and me against the world..."_

"It's about James..." She breathed, her heart fluttering to the mere mention of it. "Well...Bucky..."

"Bucky?" He said confused, quickly, his body straightening once more as his eyes turned to ice. "What's Bucky to you?"

She raised her hands, indicating that she meant no harm. James was right. Steve was incredibly protective of him as James was once to him but she feared that the distressed tone in Steve's voice proved that the situation was far from calm.

"I mean no danger." She replied, her voice level. "I...I just want to know what happened to him."

"What do you mean whats happened to him? How do you know him?" She smiled softly, shrugging, as she slowly brought her hands down in front of her.

"I've known him since I was twelve years old...and-" She began but stopped, staring directly at Steve as she shook her head a little. "Some things are best kept secret." She murmured more to herself, wishing to keep some of her past locked away and to hold onto that thread of James that belonged to her.

"What do you _know_ about him now?"

"All I know is that he's out there, somewhere...lost but I don't understand what's going on or why...I _need_ to see him."

"I'm sorry." Steve answered, turning away from her. "I don't know where he is...I can't help you."

"But you _are_ looking for him?" She breathed, taking three wide steps towards him. "Maybe we could find him together?"

"No can do Miss...I still don't know who you are and I trust no-one when it comes to him."

"I understand that-"

"And there is certainly no reason to put yourself in harms way. Whatever he's linked to now, it's dangerous." He began to ramble, his words trying to deter her from the matter at hand. She refused to give up so easily.

She'd waited forty years to see him again and she wasn't going to allow Steve to throw her aside as though she meant nothing to James.

At one point, they were each others worlds...He was still hers.

"He always spoke fondly of you." She argued, trying to hold onto Steve's interest. "He said that you were a good man...a caring man. A man that would understand-"

"That doesn't exactly tell me that you know _Bucky._ " Steve sighed again, looking down at the floor. He almost felt sorry for this girl but as he claimed, he was not going to give every piece of inforamtion he had about Bucky to a stranger. That would simply be idiotic.

Who knows what she could do with it.

She could be working for them.

"You were in the army together and-"

"You got that from the museum." Steve argued as he looked up at her. She stared at him, her brow furrowed.

"Museum?" She paused. There was silence between them.

"I- just...Never mind-"

"He spoke about Coney Island..." She began again, placing her hands in front of her in desperation. "...about how he tried to set up date a for you and Mary Lancaster-"

"What?" Steve said warily, slowly facing her once more. "How do you know about that?"

"That is just one of the many things that he's told me. He loves you very much Steve."

"I don't understand- Bucky's been trapped in his own mind for over seventy years...how-"

"I'm older than I look Mr Rogers." she replied simply. Steve continued to stare at her. She didn't look any older than twenty three years old.

"So how-"

"Like I said...somethings are best kept a secret...for now." She took another steo closer to him, so she was mere inches from his own being. She reached out and touched his arm softy. "Please...you must believe me. I mean him no harm...I love him."

"Love him?"

She nodded slowly.

"He showed me compassion when there was none...yes, I encountered the Winter Soldier but I fell in love with Bucky." Her grip tightened on his arm slightly as she felt her lungs give way. All the memories of him were rushing back to her, almost as though she were being hit by a train. His smile, his bright, calculating, beautiful eyes that she used to get lost in to which felt like forever. His arms and the strong grip they used to have around her. The snow that surrounded them in their absence from reality...

" _I'll never let them hurt you ever again..." He whispered as he stroked her face, using the back of his knuckles, softly, delicately, showing her how much he treasured her. "I will always protect you. I'll die before I'll let anything happen to you."_

He meant everything to her.

She loved him.

"He told me about Brooklyn, about how you grew up with one another. He spoke of your dreams and ambitions...he loved your mother dearly."

"I'm sorry..." Steve began but Bree cut him off once more.

"He told me about about how you use to play 'soldier' with one another and that you were told off by your mother once for breaking her favourite vase-"

"Bree." He replied, gripping onto her upper arms.

"Please..." She whispered, her voice barely audible. "From one human being to another, I am begging you to let me help."

"It would be too dangerous-"

"I'm stronger than I look."

"I don't know where he _is._ "

"I can help! I could be of great use to you."

She really wasn't backing down.

"I love him." She repeated, holding her stare. Steve sighed, looking down at the floor, trying to gather his thoughts before he stared at her again.

"You really love him...don't you?" Steve whispered sympathetically as he looked into her eyes. She was broken, he could see it. The memory of Bucky itself was breaking her.

How much did she know of his state of mind? Of what they'd done to him?

How and where did she meet him?

How did she know about his mother's vase?

Bucky was the only other person there to have known.

"Alright." He sighed. "If I let you help me, you're gonna have to give me some answers." She slowly brought her gaze to his, almost in astonishment that he'd agreed.

"All in good time."

* * *

A/N

Thank you so much for the reviews already! I appreciate it. As well as the follows/favourtie...I mean it, thank you!

I'm thinking maybe a flash back next chapter? Who knows! We'll see!

Thanks again!


	3. Chapter 3

The rain surrounded him as though he were once again a prisoner, trapped and in solitude.

His mind was tormented, ripped, as though there were two souls fighting for freedom. He felt somewhere deep inside that he should know, that he should understand but the images that were occurring inside were constantly blurring. He saw countless deaths, pain, and sometimes he could hear laughter which would mold then into distant screams. He would see that same man from the bridge, Steve, the man whose life he'd saved but he was unsure whether or not to believe it...he couldn't trust anything or anyone.

However, after every flicker of an image, he would always see a woman. It would always end and begin with her, to when he awoke to when he would fall asleep. She was the most constant image. It was always as though she were moving in slow motion, her hair...like fire. Flames that some would interpret as destruction but to him they were delicate flames. Flames that made his heart twist and he couldn't understand why.

The most infuriating thing was that he couldn't focus on her face. The picture was familiar yet entirely foreign to him.

He was lost forever it would seem.

He wasn't exactly aware of where he was or how he'd come to this place but he knew it would be safe...for now. He'd planned to go to a place he knew was secure, somewhere that he would always go to but he was low on supplies and sorely injured in his shoulder, the bullet wound pulsing and soaking through his armour.

Grimacing from the pain, he walked slowly to the furthest corner of the room, placing his weapons and bag upon the wooden table, hearing it groan upon the sudden impact. Was this how he was to forever remain?

Alone?

He had hope, for something but he didn't understand the concept, not entirely, but he felt it there. It was all he had left.

That, and the images...whatever they meant, he vowed to remember.

Even if he didn't know it yet.

* * *

"Are you sure we can trust her?" Sam asked Steve, lowering his voice as to try and not attract the attention of the red-headed woman leaning against the door frame within the small apartment.

Steve sighed, glancing at her momentarily but he knew she was listening.

She seemed to always be aware. He leaned it slightly closer to Sam.

"Why don't you _ask_ her?" Steve replied to his friend which caused Sam to quickly turn in his seat. She smiled at him, although he was uncertain as to whether or not it was comforting.

"Please do." She answered.

Her stoic expression reminded Steve momentarily of Natasha which didn't surprise him for one minute. This woman had a past, of course he knew now it was with Bucky, but she wasn't giving away any information easily. Perhaps it was extremely traumatic for her as he was sure that it was for Bucky.

But what was it that they had together?

Would Bucky be able to remember her more easily or was simply _everything_ cut away from him?

His past life erased?

Steve needed to know and she seemed to be one of the missing links.

"No offense or anything but I don't feel too comfortable speaking with you just yet." Sam answered warily, eyeing her suspiciously, just as Steve had done last night.

"Understood." She nodded as she unfolded her arms from her chest. "But, Mr Wilson, I am not the enemy."

"She says mysteriously as she lurks in the corner, dressed in black from head to toe." Sam muttered more to himself than for her to hear, yet...she still heard.

"A preference, I might add." She answered walking closer to the table, her steps slow and deliberate. "I don't want to be found."

"Yeah...cause that didn't sound creepy at all." Sam continued, glaring at Steve. "How could you just let her stay?"

"Look, Sam...she knows Bucky-"

"Bucky!" Sam replied sarcastically. "Of course...it had to have had something to do with Bucky. Steve...for all you know, you could be putting your life at risk and for what? Someone who knows _of_ him? Everyone knows of him because of what happened and 'cause of that damn museum!"

"She's never been to the museum." Steve argued.

"That's what she told you?"

"She says she loves him."

"And I love mac and cheese but that doesn't mean-!"

"Sam." Steve sighed, placing his hand on his shoulder, attempting to calm him.

He knew that Sam worried about him now that most of his mind was occupied by the memory of his best friend but he seemed to know what he was doing or so Sam hoped.

"I'm not expecting you to understand Mr Wilson..." Bree said softly as she sat across from him on the small table, her emotions still in tact. "But what Rogers says is true. I care for James, much more than what is deemed sane. I don't mean to put either of you in harms way. That is not my intention. But, with all due respect, I came to Steve for help...not you."

Steve watched her and noticed how different she was from the night before. Last night, she was broken...speaking his name, trying to explain to Steve why she was there...it hurt her. Rehashing her memories of him just seemed to put her through pain but now...she was once again intact.

Perhaps she hadn't meant to let it happen last night...that she was truly desperate. Although now Steve noticed that she was once again playing with the hem of her gloves...something that he'd definitely interpreted as to her being nervous.

It didn't help the circumstances that Sam, upon seeing her, was already in defensive mode, not giving her a chance to act the way she had with Steve.

Sam didn't know Bucky. He never met him. He only knew of The Winter Soldier who, in Sam's defense, had tried to kill him.

But if she was telling the truth, and somewhere in Steve's gut, it was forcing him to believe her, he could see why Bucky would have liked her...or loved her. She was strong, intelligent, beautiful even and yet she had a heart.

Sam just wouldn't give her a chance to show it...he also was meeting her for the first time.

Steve was simply a little more...hopeful than most.

"She could be working for... _them_." He whispered again to Steve.

"Hydra? That's what I thought you would suspect." She sighed, leaning back in her chair as Sam turned to stare at her again in confusion. " I do not work for them."

"And we're supposed to just...believe you?" Sam replied with a humorless laugh.

"Yes."

"Look, Sam...I'm not asking you to trust her...I'm asking you to trust me." Steve said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"And you trust her?"

"I didn't say that...but in all honesty...what would a Hyrda agent be doing here, asking us questions about Bucky if they were the ones who had him?" Sam didn't reply at first, but simply stared at the woman. She didn't look as though she were a threat but Hyrda came in all shapes and sizes.

"They're sneaky like that." He argued.

"You are very narrow minded Mr Wilson." Bree said as she cocked her head to the right.

"Not narrow minded...real-is-tic." He turned once more to Steve, almost begging him to throw her out before it became too late.

"I'm not asking you to be a part of this Sam." Steve concluded.

"I'm not gonna let you do this alone...with some woman who randomly appears out of thin air, thinking she has all the answers-"

"I have no answers." Bree butted in, her voice still soft. "That is why I am here. To find Bucky. To make sure he is alright-"

"That dude is crazy-" Sam muttered but Bree chose to ignore it otherwise she would potentially lose her temper with him.

"Are you sure about this Steve?" He nodded in reply.

"It's worth a shot."

* * *

She remembered the darkness. The cold. The never ending loss of hope she'd gained through being attacked as though she were an animal...perhaps as something that meant nothing at all. She had to tried to run so many times, only once being completely successful, because of him, or so she believed. They hadn't found her yet. But now...she wouldn't be surprised if they had. He was there, with her, through out it all. He had given her strength and she had shown him compassion.

It was something that neither of them had experienced in such a long time and they were thankful for it.

It was an unconventional meeting between them. A naive young girl and a lethal 'weapon' crossing paths in the most unlikely circumstance. She should never have been down there but she couldn't help her curious mind. It was the only thing she was allowed to be at that time, curious and even now, in her older age it had brought too much trouble for her.

Bree lay on Steve's couch, her mind running wild while her body was shouting at her to sleep. She couldn't. No new news of her Bucky had been discovered as of yet but she couldn't help but feel as though Steve was keeping most of the information to himself, for the sake of Sam. He didn't completely trust her, which she wasn't surprised about at all.

She had been here for one week yet it felt like an eternity. She had met Sam Wilson in his attempts to stop Steve from finding Bucky, purely for his own safety but she couldn't help but like him. He acted cold and sarcastic towards her during their first meet but he'd gradually warmed to her, still holding his distance however.

It was most likely because she could easily throw a few words back at him while he was trying to damage their moral in finding Bucky, all in his humorous way.

The sun was slowly beginning to shine through the curtains and she knew that Steve would wake up shortly after. Steve wasn't too worried by her presence anymore yet he tried not to make it feel like home for her. Eventually, she would need to move on from this if Bucky were never to be found, although Steve vowed he would find his best friend again.

He remembered him...on the bridge, he knew who he was. He'd saved his life.

Steve would never stop hoping and as he could tell, Bree had never given up hope either.

Bucky was what was bringing them together.

Bree constantly wondered how he was, if he even knew who she was anymore. Like she'd experienced...there would be flickers and nothing more...nothing more if there was no catalyst. He was alone and her heart swelled at the mere thought of it.

She didn't want him to be alone. He'd promised that they'd never have to be alone again.

She'd failed him.

The downfall of their serenity lay heavy on her chest...she was always insecure, knowing she could always be better, that she could always do better so the idea of Bucky being alone and in pain...it was her mess.

She wondered if he were to remember her...would he still even care for her? Would he love her? It had been far too many years for his feelings to feel as raw and fresh as hers...but she remembered...she'd managed to escape.

Had he been able to after her? Or had he been there since they said their goodbyes, although Bucky claimed it was no goodbye.

" _No...don't say goodbye to me. This won't be the last time we see each other."_

Her heart ached...it constantly ached.

She just wanted him back.

She _needed_ him back.

It's all she's ever wanted.

* * *

Author's Notes -

Hello!Here's Chapter 3! I just wanted to thank all those again who have reviewed and are now following the story! It means a lot to me. I want to update a lot more frequently but annoyingly, I can't commit because my life is super hectic.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter & if things seem slow or anything, I'm sorry, I just don't want to rush things, you know?

Thanks again!


	4. Chapter 4

**Many Years Ago...**

"Again!" The voice screamed forcefully from outside the cage; the cage she was displayed and trapped within– mentally and physically – attempting to break free.

She sat on the floor, her arms braced behind her as she stared up at the man in the cage with her, her breathing heavy. She was exhausted. She didn't know if she could carry on much longer. Her mind dazed, she just wanted to stay on the ground, her limbs screaming at her to stop but her determination pleading her to carry on. In those moments however, she didn't care whether or not she would survive...she just wanted everything to stop.

"Don't test my patience." The voice screeched again as he banged his gun against the metal bars, causing neither figure within the cage to flinch. They were both too familiar to the abuse and tactics they would try and use to get their attention, but seemingly, it no longer worked.

Without a hint of hesitance, the man took a step forward, the sound of his heavy boots echoing in the room, as he held a hand out towards her. She eyed it suspiciously, never quite sure how to react to anything this man did but she could feel the overwhelming aggravation radiating off of the spectators so she complied. She placed her hand in his and instantly a grip tightened around her as she was hauled to her feet.

His grip and stare lingered far longer than what she had anticipated, so she felt a sudden pinch in her chest, his eyes like ice.

Only for a moment, but she was sure she'd felt it, his thumb gently caressed the back of her hand, a somewhat comforting measure for her benefit as she once again felt the pinch.

This man, a complete mystery to her, caused her to question everything about herself and circumstance. She'd known him for ten years however he remained stoic, almost as if nearly every meeting was their first. She knew what they did to him because they did the same to her, but far less intense.

She was just a project to them. A guinea pig.

One big test.

She nodded softly in thanks, pulling her hand away from his and turned and rolled her neck.

 _I can do this_

Blood and sweat dripped from her brow but she made no obvious objections to her task. All she could muster was a heavy sigh, irritated that she couldn't master what this man was doing to her.

The woman turned to her opponent, her stance forming into a near crouch whereas the man remained upright, looking at her, studying her. He was surprised by her determination, on some level, he would say he admired her. Most of the others that walked through that door would scurry away after one hit. She'd been here for two months, of course against her will, but she remained...determined.

What was Hydra bargaining her with?

Although he'd been helping her to train for those months, as the days passed, it seemed to become even more of something that just wasn't right. She was much younger than him, her face still slightly round from her youth but her mind years ahead. He cocked his head slightly to the right as he watched her hands curl and uncurl from their fist forms, attempting to loosen any tense muscles. They were delicate hands he'd noticed and from watching her, he knew every tick she possessed. When angry, her brows would fall and her lips would purse, when in doubt, she would gnaw at her bottom lip and when nervous, she'd twist her fingers around one another, almost as though she were trying to hid them. Yet, he hadn't been able to discover what she did when she was content.

He never had seen her that way.

And he doubt he ever would.

"Now...again!" The voice repeated.

The soldier was cautious of his next attacks. She was bleeding from her mouth and left brow and purple and red marks were already appearing on her face. She'd manged to bruise him upon his right cheek but it would heal quick and painless.

He bowed slightly to her, almost in warning, and then began to run, his pace fast and his actions graceful. She was fascinated by how he moved, how everything seemed so much easier to him than to everyone else, which made her training one hundred percent more difficult. It was all about the element of surprise which, only a few times had she been successful with. He could read her eyes however she could never read his.

He was always one step ahead.

She ducked under his swing, however had still managed to be grabbed around the waist by his arm that made most tremble with fear, causing her feet to leave the ground. She was so used to it grabbing her and pinning her down, she was now completely unaffected by it, yet, when she was 12 years old, she couldn't move her stare away from it...nor his eyes. She grunted in pain, at the sheer force of his hold as he began to curl around her, but by using this opportunity, she head butted him which didn't seem to stir him at all.

There was something about being in his embrace which made her uncomfortable. She knew she should fear this man but it was more of her reaction to him which scared her. Whenever she felt this close to him, time seemed to move slowly,her hands would subconsciously tighten their grip around his biceps when given the chance and her eyes would always glance up to meet his – their intensity making her unhinged.

He wore black combat trousers and in training would rarely wear a shirt. She was in her own set of boots and black trousers and a measly white vest which accentuated her small demeanor.

She vowed that that was the reason she failed most training sessions...he distracted her...immensely which she often wanted to deny.

She knew however that if she were to fail again, they would punish her – strap her down and torture her. Kassin, the leader of this unit would claim it was a way to teach discipline which she sorely objected.

It was torture and nothing more.

She grabbed his shoulder while simultaneously wrapping her leg around his waist, attempting to twist herself away and to bring him down face first. It worked momentarily which made her able to elbow his neck which relinquished his hold on her. She dropped to the floor and rolled backwards, once more crouching on her heals, ready for his next maneuver.

His brow lowered however his lips twisted in almost...amusement.

Had he allowed her to escape his hold?

After a few minutes of blocking each others hits, he ran at her again, this time, she managed to turn and kick his legs out from under him, which most definitely surprised him. He lay on his back for a moment, catching his breath which made her loose her focus, slowly standing upright but in this moment, he took the opportunity to weave his leg between the both of hers and pull her down towards him on the ground. He rolled them both so that she was lying on her back and he, hovering over her, squeezed his knees tighter into her waist; his dark hair shielding his eyes, as both his hands pinned hers on either side of her head.

"Up!" Kassin instructed, sounding impatient as ever. The soldier rolled off of her and to his surprise, she followed quickly, before he could offer her the chance of his hand. They took steps away from each other, the blood pumping in her ears and she readied herself.

"Now!"

But before either of them could lunge at one another, a large thud echoed inside the room and all heads turned to the sound of the noise...except the woman and the soldiers.

They simply continued to stare at each other, both trying to determine the others mindset.

"That's enough training for her." A voice said authoritatively, his footsteps drowning out the sound of the solider and woman's heavy breaths.

"Yes sir." Kassin nodded, stepping around to open the door of the cage. The soldier nodded once at her, causing her to feel the same sensation in her chest before she turned and walked towards the open space.

Before she could get her foot out of the door, Kassin grabbed her upper arm and pulled her out, leaving the door open for the soldiers next 'victim'.

Kassin brought her around to face the man. He was elderly to some extent, his eyes dark and his expression menacing. He had a scar, running down the side of his face and a suit, tailored to his exact shape. He was a wealthy man, that she knew and would frequently watch her train but she had no idea who he was. Someone of importance, of course - he was commanding Kassin himself. Of all the times she had seen him, she had never once caught what his name was.

In all honesty, she cared very little for who he was.

"Are her skills adequate?" The man asked Kassin.

"Not enough to be working for hydra at this time, Sir." Kassin replied, tightening his grip on her upper arm.

"Well..." The man sighed, looking her up and down. "She's just going to have to do better."

"She is training with the best."

"Ah yes..." The man smirked and shoved his hands into his pockets as he turned to stare at the man in the cage. "The Winter Soldier. Tell me...what do you think of her training? Is it up to par with the best of our team?" He continued, taking deliberate steps towards the door. The soldier hadn't moved since she left the cage, his fists placed at his sides as his head bowed, not from physical exhaustion but from mental. He twisted his head to the direction of the mans voice but his eyes reached hers.

"She is far better than the others." He spoke, his voice gruff and level. "She is able to manipulate her opponent."

"Not enough to beat them." Kassin interjected. The man nodded and sighed once more, bringing his hand level with his shoulders. He placed his middle finger and thumb close together, causing them to snap. The woman knew instantly what was going to happen. It had happened many times to her before. Kassin had released his hold, only for a moment and had brought the base of his gun to the back of her head, causing her to fall to her knees and grunt in aggravation.

"What of her...gift?"

"Her training has been postponed until the room is once more secure."

"What happened to the room?" The man asked, intrigued.

"She managed to destroy every aspect of work that was in there-"

"But Kassin...isn't that the point? She is being trained for that purpose. To destroy."

"She nearly killed three of the doctors Sir."

"Ah...I see." The man walked towards her then, bending slightly to look her in the eyes. "You're going to have to learn to control that. To us...it could be a blessing...you know what happens when you abuse whatever reign we let you have over it. Do you understand?"

She didn't reply except continue to stare at him, rage storming inside of her.

"Answer me." She didn't.

Sighing, the man brought his hand to her face with such force it caused her head to swing back. Without so much a thought, the Soldier stepped out of the cage, quick, an unknown anger radiating off of him as he walked towards them, but the others within the room pointed their guns at him which caused him to stop.

He'd been shot many times by these men and it was not a pleasant experience.

Kassin grabbed a handful of red hair and forced her to look up at the man. "Answer him."

"Yes." She said between her teeth after taking a quick glance at the Solider. _Her Soldier_ , as she used to refer to him as when she was younger.

"Good...now, you know what to do when someone misbehaves, Kassin."

"Yes Sir." He replied, a smile present in his voice. Pulling her by her hair, which caused her to shriek at the sudden force, he brought her to her feet and began to push her out of the room, with one arm twisted behind her back.

She knew where she was going.

It was always the same outcome.

Not once had she not been tortured.

They were determined to break her spirit.

But she wouldn't let them.

The Soldier watched her, his hand once more turning into a fist. He greatly disliked the way she was treated. It seemed that they always purposefully found a way to punish her but she didn't know that she was strong enough to handle it. Somewhere deep inside him, guilt struck him. It had done so ever since she was first taken away to be tortured but he never allowed any to know. They would wipe his memories again...take away his soul.

He could comprehend what he was feeling but never why...not when it came to her. He almost resented her for it but she had done nothing to make him feel that way. They hadn't spoken a single word to each other. It was almost forbidden for assets to speak to one another as equals...frowned upon. Hydra was most likely worried about a tyranny of some sort on their behalf but it was their own fault.

Hydra fed off of fear...their victims and their own.

"I don't care if you have to break her..." The man began, turning to face him. "But make her an assassin...and fast. It would be a terrible waste if we were to...dispose of her."

"What of her gift?" The soldier asked before he could stop himself. His faced remained impartial as he stared at the door the woman had just left.

"What makes you ask? Do you know what her gift is?"

"No Sir-"

"It's better that you don't." He interjected once again. "She could kill us all if she wanted too...nothing that a bit of... _training_ can't fix. She is just a weapon...like you...nothing more."

* * *

 **Present Day**

"Where did you meet Bucky?" Steve asked as he watched Bree staring out of the window, her mind miles away. At there mere mention of his name however, she had snapped back to reality.

"Russia." She said quietly, pulling back the curtain slightly to catch a glimpse of the street down below. Without so much as Steve noticing, she would constantly watch their perimeter, keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity, just as the training all those years ago had taught her.

Never be off your guard.

"Thats the accent..."Steve said, nodding his head.

"Accent?" She asked, twisting her head to meet his stare.

"I couldn't work out your accent." He explained. "It seems to have a tinge of everywhere in it."

"I'm not Russian...well I'm partly Russian. My father was half Russian, half American. My mother was Irish." She murmured, feeling her heart ache to the mere thought of her parents.

"That's a mix." Steve chuckled. "I'm just a guy from Brooklyn."

"You're not _just_ a guy from Brooklyn." She smiled. "James would have scolded you for that." Steve smiled in return.

"Yes...he would have."

"He hated how insecure you were about everything." Bree continued, moving away from the window to join him at the table. "He wished that he could have made things a little easier on you."

"He did though." Steve nodded, folding his arms across his chest. "Him just being my friend made things a lot easier. I didn't feel alone."

"He has that affect on a lot of people." Bree sighed, thinking back to how he made her feel safe and wanted...that she was necessary.

"He's a good man...he's just...lost." Bree nodded slowly, leaning back in her seat.

"I just wish I knew where to find him."

* * *

Hey!

So this is the next chapter. Thought I'd throw in a little flashback...Lemme know what you think of it.

Thank you again to those who are reviewing and following the story.

Take care!


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